"They were clearly the species most likely to be wiped off the face of the earth if we didn't do something quickly," explains Knapp of why he zeroed in on studying the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs, known as Rana sierrae. He estimates that by the mid-1950s, the frogs had been extirpated from about 80% of their local habitats by non-native trout introduced to create fisheries.
Knapp explained the seriousness of the threat in no uncertain terms: "To me, it's a transformation as dramatic as the loss of the dinosaurs," he said.
Fortunately for the frogs, Knapp and his team made an unexpected discovery while monitoring the species in Yosemite National Park in the early 2000s. They captured and tested a few frogs infected with Bd that were not only alive but relatively healthy.
But there's hope now for the endangered frogs: Knapp's team not only reintroduced Bd-resistant frogs into their former habitats but also reestablished entire breeding populations, which may save the species from extinction.
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